Product and bag dispenser



y 2, 1967 L. w. OHLSSON ETAL 3,317,082

PRODUCT AND BAG DISPENSER Filed July 2, 1964 2 Sheets$heet 1 177/)?forms": Zea/Yarn MO/ilifan .Jkrz y lcf-iadaler- L. w. OHLSSON ETAL3,317,082

PRODUCT AND BAG DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 P Hi5 May 2, 1967 Filed July2, 1964 United States Patent 3,317,082 PRODUCT AND BAG DISPENSER LeonardW. Ohlsson and Jerry W. Saddler, St. Paul, Minn., assignors to WhirlpoolCorporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 2, 1964, Ser. No.379,845 2 Claims. (Cl. 221-14) This invention relates to vendingmachines and in particular to vending machines wherein the vendedproduct is provided in a bag or the like.

In one form of vending machine, ice bodies are manufactured and storedin a collecting space for subsequent vending. A bag supply apparatus isassociated with the ice making apparatus for providing a bag to be usedto receive the vended ice bodies during the vending operation. Thepresent invention comprehends a new and improved bag delivery apparatusassociated with the ice making apparatus in a novel manner to provideimproved control of the bag delivery operation.

Thus, a principal feature of the present invention is the provision of anew and improved bag providing means.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such a bagproviding means including new and improved means for controlling theoperation of the bag providing means as a function of the ice makingapparatus vending operation.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such a bagproviding means arranged to be actuated at the end of a bag deliverycycle while allowing the vending of the ice bodies to be completed andfurther arranged to set itself up for a subsequent bag delivery cycleupon initiation of a subsequent vending cycle.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such a bagproviding means including means for storing a plurality of bags fordelivery seriatim to an ejection position, and means for ejecting a bagfrom said ejection position to a dispense position including a dischargemechanism, means for operating the discharge mechanism through adischarge cycle wherein a bag is dispensed, and control means arrangedto respond to an initiation of the cycle of operation of the ice vendingmachine mechanism to actuate the means for operating the dischargemechanism and thereby operate the discharge mechanism through one cycle,the control means being further arranged to deactivate the dischargemechanism at the end of the discharge cycle while allowing the cycle ofoperation of the ice vending machine mechanism to be completed, and setitself up for a subsequent discharge cycle upon an initiation of asubsequent cycle of operation of the ice vending machine mechanism.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bag providing apparatusembodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation thereof with a portionof the cabinet removed to illustrate more clearly the arrangement of thebag delivery mechanism;

closed in the drawing, a bag providing apparatus generally designated 10is shown to comprise a cabinet 11 defining a dispensing outlet 12opening outwardly from the interior space 13 of the cabinet. The bagproviding apparatus 10 may be disposed adjacent an associated apparatussuch as an ice maker apparatus 14 which may be of conventionalconstruction well known in the art. A plurality of bags 15 are disposedwithin cabinet space 13 and are delivered by a new and improved bagdischarge mechanism 16 therefrom one at a time through the outlet 12 foruse in receiving the products such as ice bodies from the apparatus 14during a vending operation. The mechanism 16 includes a novel control 17as shown in FIG- URE 5 which is electrically associated with a control18 of the apparatus 14 for controlling the bag dispensing apparatus 10as a function of the operation of the ice maker apparatus 14. Morespecifically, the control 17 functions to permit the operation of thebag dispensing apparatus 10 to deliver only a single bag during eachvending cycle of operation of the apparatus 14.

Referring now more specifically to FIGURES 2 and 3, the bag dischargemechanism 16 includes an inclined bottom plate 19 and a horizontal guide20. The individual bags 15 move downwardly through space 13 to havetheir upper portion 15a rest on the inclined plate 19 and their bottomfolding portion 15b rest on the guide 20. As shown in FIGURE 2, guide 20extends forwardly to a front edge 22 which defines the lower edge of theoutlet opening 12.

The bag, as shown in FIGURE 2, is in an ejection position for movementto a dispense position, as shown in dotted lines, wherein the folded endof the bag projects substantially outwardly through outlet 12. To effectthe movement of the bag from the ejection position to the dispenseposition, a pusher arm 23 is mounted on a slide 24 which is movedsuccessively forwardly and rearwardly (to the right and to the left asseen in FIGURE 2) in a channel 25 which is attached to channel supportplate 20a. The slide is moved by means of a link 26 having a firstupstanding end 27 pivotally connected to the slide 24 and a seconddownturned end 28 pivotally connected to an arm 29 fixed to the outputshaft 30 of a conven tional electric motor 31 carried on cabinet wall 11by means of a bracket 32 subjacent the outlet 12. The upturned end 27 ofthe link 26 extends through a slot 33, in channel 25 and channel supportplate 20a, and slot 33a in the guide 20 which extends forwardly fromadjacent the rear end of the guide to adjacent the forward end thereofat outlet 12. Thus, as the motor rotates in a counterclockwisedirection, as seen in FIGURE 3, the arm 29 pulls the link 26 forwardlyfrom the position of FIGURE 3 to a forward position, as shown in dottedlines in FIG- URE 2. During this forward movement, the pusher arm 23engages the folded end 15b of the bag 15 and urges it forwardly andoutwardly through the outlet 12 to the dotted .line dispense position ofFIGURE 2 where the user may grasp the bag end and pull the bag from thecabinet 11 for use in receiving the ice body products of the associatedapparatus 14.

The apparatus 10 further includes means to preclude operation of thedischarge mechanism 16 when the supply of bags 15 reaches a preselectedlow level. Herein, this means comprises a switch 34 carried on theinclined plate 19 and having an actuating finger 35 extending upwardlythrough an opening 36 in the inclined plate to be engaged by thelowermost bag 15 in the ejection position. The switch 34 is arranged tothe held closed by the weight of a preselected number of bags. Theswitch 34 is associated with the control 18 of apparatus 14 so that whenthe bag supply reaches the low limit no subsequent vending of the icebody product can be initiated until a replenishment of the bag supply incabinet 11 is effected.

Control 17 functions to eject a single bag each time the apparatus 14 isoperated to initiate a vending cycle. As seen in FIGURE 5, control 17includes a first switch 37 having a moving contact 37a which when in itsnormally closed position is in engagement with a fixed contact 37b andan actuating finger 370. As shown in FIGURE 3, the switch is disposedwith the actuating finger 370 in the path of movement of the outer end29a of the arm 29 to be actuated by the arm at a point just short of acomplete counterclockwise revolution of the arm from the startingposition of FIGURE 3. The control 17 further includes a second switch 38having a moving contact 38a, which when in its normally closed positionis in engagement with a first fixed contact 38b and a second contact380. Switch 38 further includes an actuating finger 380. which, as shownin FIGURE 3, is disposed in the path of movement of the arm end 29a at apoint approximately one-quarter of a revolution of the arm from thestarting position.

In the cycle of operation of the ejection mechanism 16, a switch 40 ofcontrol 18 is closed upon the initiation of a cycle of operation ofapparatus 14 as a function of the operation of control 1 8. Switch 40 isconnected in series from one power supply lead L to each of the movingcontacts 37a and 38a of switches 37 and 38, respectively. A coil 39 isassociated Wit-h switch 38 for holding the finger 38d in the thrownposition whenever the moving contact 38a engages fixed contact 380,providing switch 40 is in its closed position. When switch 40 is soclosed, current may flow from the other power supply lead Lg through theejection motor 31 to fixed contact 3812 of switch 38, to the movingcontact 38a, which is normally in engagement with fixed contact 38b, andthence through switch 40 to the other power supply lead L Movement ofthe arm 29 by the operation of the motor 31 then permits contact 37a tomove to its normally closed position in engagement with fixed contact37b to establish a holding circuit from motor 31 through fixed contact37b and moving contact 37a of switch 37 to the switch 40. The continuedenergization of motor 31 causes the arm 29 to rotate in acounter-clockwise direction, as seen in FIGURE 3, until the slide 24 isin the outermost position (the righthand position shown in dotted linesin FIGURE 2). This movement of the slide urges the folded end 15b of thelowermost bag 15 outwardly through the outlet 12 to the dispensingposition for grasping by the user.

Rotation of the arm 29 causes the arm end 29a to engage the actuatingfinger 38d of switch 38 whereupon the moving contact 38a is spaced fromcontact 38b breaking this half of the circuit from motor 31 to theswitch 40. Moving contact 38a is thrown into engagement with the secondfixed contact 38c of switch 38 which is connected in series with thecoil 39 between switch 40 and the power supply lead L Thus, coil 39 isenergized and holds the moving contact 38a of switch 38 in engagementwith fixed contact 38c notwithstanding a subsequent movement of the armend 29a beyond the finger 38d of the switch as a result of continuedrotation of the arm.

The motor 31 remains energized through fixed contact 37b, moving contact37a and switch 40 until the arm end 29a engages the finger 370 of switch37. This engagement causes moving contact 37a to become disengaged fromfixed contact 37b to break the circuit from the motor 31 to the switch40, thereby deenergizing the ejection motor 31 notwithstanding thecontinuing of the cycle of operation of apparatus 14 by control 1 8which is maintaining the switch 40 closed. Thus, no further operation ofthe ejection mechanism 16 can be effected at this time. When, however,the cycle of operation of the apparatus 14 is completed, control 1 8causes switch 40 to move to the open position shown in FIGURE whereuponthe circuit is broken from coil 39 to power supply lead L therebydeencrgizing the coil 39 and permitting the moving contact 38a to moveto its normally closed engagement with the fixed contact 38b. Thus, thecircuit is restored to the arrangement of FIGURE 5 reestablishing it forsubsequent initiation of an ejection cycle upon initiation of a vendcycle of apparatus 14 by means of control 18.

While control 17 is extremely simple, it provides an improved correlatedfunctioning of the bag ejecting mechanism relative to the vending cycleof apparatus 14. The control 17 permits only a single bag to be ejectedduring each vending cycle of the apparatus 14 while automaticallyre-establishing itself for a subsequent bag ejection cycle upon asubsequent initiation of another vending cycle of apparatus 14. Further,the apparatus 10 includes control means for precluding initiation of thevending cycle of apparatus 14 in the event that the supply of bags inthe apparatus 10 reaches a preselected low level which may comprise acondition wherein all of the bags have been dispensed from the apparatus10.

While we have shown and described one embodiment of our invention, it isto be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes,therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. In an apparatus utilizing bags for holding a product and having afirst mechanism including a control provid-' ing a preselected cycle ofoperation thereof, means for providing bags one-at-a-time from a supplyfor use in said apparatus, said bag providing means comprising:

means for storing a pluraltiy of bags for delivery seriatim to adischarge position; and

means for discharging a bag from said discharge position to a dispenseposition including a discharge mechanism, means including an electricmotor for operating said discharge mechanism through a discharge cyclewherein a bag is discharged, and control means arranged to respond to aninitiation of the cycle of operation of said first mechanism to energizesaid motor and thereby operate the discharge mechanism through onecycle, said control means being further arranged to de-energize saidmotor at the end of the discharge cycle While allowing the cycle ofoperation of said first mechanism to be completed, and set itself up fora subsequent discharge cycle upon initiation of a subsequent cycle ofoperation of said first mechanism, said control means including a firstswitch connected in series with said motor and arranged to be opened atthe initiation of the cycle of operation of said first mechanism, and asecond switch connected in parallel with said first switch and arrangedto be closed at the initiation of the cycle of operation of said firstmechanism to energize said motor at that time, means associated withsaid motor for opening said second switch after a preselected amount ofoperation of the discharge mechanism, means for holding said secondswitch open until completion of the cycle of operation of said firstmechanism, and means associated with said motor for closing said firstswitch prior to the opening of said second switch and subsequentlyopening said first switch after the opening of said second switch toterminate the energizationof said motor, said control means furtherincluding a third switch and means responsive to the weight of bags inthe storing means to preclude operation of the first mechanism when everthe supply of bags therein is below a preselected minimum.

2. In an apparatus utilizing bags for holding a product and having afirst electrically operable product dispensing mechanism arranged tooperate in preselected cycles, means for providing bags one-at-a-timefrom a supply for use in receiving the product dispensed from saidapparatus, said bag providing means comprising:

means for storing a plurality of bags for delivery seria tim to adischarge position; and

means for discharging a bag from said discharge position to a dispenseposition including a discharge mechanism, electrically operable meansfor operating said discharge mechanism through a discharge cycle whereina bag is discharged, and electrical control means actuatable to initiatea cycle of operation of said product dispensing mechanism only whenthere is at least a preselected number of bags in said storing means,and only after said initiation of said cycle of operation of the productdispensing mechanism to actuate said means for operating said dischargemechanism and thereby operate the discharge mechanism through one cycle,said control means including means responsive to the weight of bags inthe storing means to preclude operation of said control means wheneverthe quantity of bags in said storing means is below a preselectedminimum greater than one, said weight responsive means being arranged tobe engaged by a bag in both said discharge position and said dispenseposition, said control means being further arranged to deactivate thedischarge mechanism at the end of the discharge cycle while allowing thecycle of operation of said product dispensing mechanism to be completed,and upon completion of said cycle of operation of said productdispensing mechanism set itself up for effecting a subsequent dischargecycle upon initiation of a subsequent cycle of operation of said productdispensing mechanism.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WALTER SOBIN,Primary Examiner.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Examiner.

1. IN AN APPARATUS UTILIZING BAGS FOR HOLDING A PRODUCT AND HAVING AFIRST MECHANISM INCLUDING A CONTROL PROVIDING A PRESELECTED CYCLE OFOPERATION THEREOF, MEANS FOR PROVIDING BAGS ONE-AT-A-TIME FROM A SUPPLYFOR USE IN SAID APPARATUS, SAID BAG PROVIDING MEANS COMPRISING MEANS FORSTORING A PLURALITY OF BAGS FOR DELIVERY SERIATIM TO A DISCHARGEPOSITION; AND MEANS FOR DISCHARGING A BAG FROM SAID DISCHARGE POSITIONTO A DISPENSE POSITION INCLUDING A DISCHARGE MECHANISM, MEANS INCLUDINGAN ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR OPERATING SAID DISCHARGE MECHANISM THROUGH ADISCHARGE CYCLE WHEREIN A BAG IS DISCHARGED, AND CONTROL MEANS ARRANGEDTO RESPOND TO AN INITIATION OF THE CYCLE OF OPERATION OF SAID FIRSTMECHANISM TO ENERGIZE SAID MOTOR AND THEREBY OPERATE THE DISCHARGEMECHANISM THROUGH ONE CYCLE, SAID CONTROL MEANS BEING FURTHER ARRANGEDTO DE-ENERGIZE SAID MOTOR AT THE END OF THE DISCHARGE CYCLE WHILEALLOWING THE CYCLE OF OPERATION OF SAID FIRST MECHANISM TO BE COMPLETED,AND SET ITSELF UP FOR A SUBSEQUENT DISCHARGE CYCLE UPON INITATION OF ASUBSEQUENT CYCLE OF OPERATION OF SAID FIRST MECHANISM, SAID CONTROLMEANS INCLUDING A FIRST SWITCH CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH SAID MOTOR ANDARRANGED TO BE OPENED AT THE INITIATION OF THE CYCLE OF OPERATION OFSAID FIRST MECHANISM, AND A SECOND SWITCH CONNECTED IN PARALLEL WITHSAID FIRST SWITCH AND ARRANGED TO BE CLOSED AT THE INITIATION OF THECYCLE OF OPERATION OF SAID FIRST MECHANISM TO ENERGIZE SAID MOTOR ATTHAT TIME, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MOTOR FOR OPENING SAID SECONDSWITCH AFTER A PRESELECTED AMOUNT OF OPERATION OF THE DISCHARGEMECHANISM, MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID SECOND SWITCH OPEN UNTIL COMPLETION OFTHE CYCLE OF OPERATION OF SAID FIRST MECHANISM, AND MEANS ASSOCIATEDWITH SAID MOTOR FOR CLOSING SAID FIRST SWITCH PRIOR TO THE OPENING OFSAID SECOND SWITCH AND SUBSEQUENTLY OPENING SAID FIRST SWITCH AFTER THEOPENING OF SAID MOTOR, SAID CONTO TERMINATE THE ENERGIZATION OF SAIDMOTOR, SAID CONTROL MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING A THIRD SWITCH AND MEANSRESPONSIVE TO THE WEIGHT OF BAGS IN THE STORING MEANS TO PRECLUDEOPERATION OF THE FIRST MECHANISM WHENEVER THE SUPPLY OF BAGS THEREIN ISBELOW A PRESELECTED MINIMUM.